Wrench



(No Model.)

H. A. SMITH. WRENCH.

No. 584,019. Patented June 8, 1897.

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WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES PATENT UEricE,

HENRY ADALBERT SMITH, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,019, dated June 8,1897.

Application filed August 11, 1896. Serial No. 602,394, (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern;

Be it kn own that LHENRY .ADALBERT SMITH, of Elgin, in the county ofKane and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvementin renches, of which the followin g is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

M y invention relates to an adjustable wrench of the style known asalligator, designed for a mechanical range of adjustment, and which maybe manufactured economically and durably and be of minimum weight.

The object of the invention is to construct a wrench of the above typecapable of use in any way in which a monkey-wrench may be applied, butbeing particularly adapted for holding round objects.

Another object of the invention is to provide for a closing adjustmentof the movable jaw through the medium of a nut and screw, both of whichare entirely disconnected from the jaw, and to provide for an openingmovement of the jaw when released from the tension of the screw throughthe medium of a spring, and to so combine all the parts that the entirewrench will be flat and of such dimensions that it can be used to thebest advantage and with certainty of operation, and rendering itparticularly a convenient and handy tool where pocket-carryin g isrequired, and a universal tool of its class.

Another object of the invention is to so place the adj Listing-screwwith relation to the movable jaw that the said screw will in a greatmeasure serve as a brace for the movable jaw, enabling the wrench to beused upon very heavy objects within the range of its adjustment withoutthe liability of the wrench becoming unduly strained or broken.

The invention consists in the novel construct-ion and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved wrench. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the wrench with the saddle in section, the adj usting-nutbeing also in section; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the said wrench.

It is the prime intent of the invention to provide a wrench having aV-shaped opening formed by a fixed and a movable jaw, the latterradiating from a pivoted center at its base, one side of the interior ofthe V-shaped opening having teeth projected inwardly therefrom in suchmanner that when an object is forced in between the sides of theV-shaped opening and the wrench is turned in the direction and with theangle of the projecting teeth the object inserted is firmly fastened andheld, rendering it possible to hold a nut, bolt, or a rod.

The invention is not confined to any particular form of movable jawforming one side of the V-shaped opening or to any particular form of ahinged jaw that will in connection with a fixed jaw provide a V-opening.

In carrying out the invention the body A of the wrench is fiat, and ajaw 10 is proj ected forwardly from its lower edge, the upper face ofthe said fixed jaw being downwardly and forwardly and outwardlyinclined. A recess B is made in the upper edge of the body A, extendingfrom the base of the fixed jaw to a point near the rear of the body, andwhere the fixed jaw at its upper edge connects with the base-wall of theaforesaid recess B a concavity 11 is produced, and from the rear wall ofthe said main recess B a tongue 12 is forwardly projected, the underedge whereof is ordinarily curved, and a pocket 13 is formed between thebottom wall of the recess B and the said tongue 12, as shown in Fig. 2,and in this pocket one end of a spring I l is securely fastened, thesaid spring extending outwardly in direction of the concavity 11. Amovable jaw 15 has its under face so shaped as to close upon the upperinclined surface of the fixed jaw, so that when the two jaws are carriedapart the opening between them willbe substantially V-shaped. In theunder face of the movable jaw 15 teeth 16 are formed, having a rearwardinclination, and in the base 17 of the said movable jaw a pivotopening18 is about centrally formed, and the bottom of the base is convexed inorder that it may turn readily in the concavity 1]. of the body, whichforms a seat for the said base of the movable jaw.

At the rear lower portion of the base of the pivoted jaw arearwardly-extending lip 19 is constructed, upon which the free end ofthe jaw upward from the fixed jaw, and at the upper rear portion of thebase of the movable jaw a convexed bearing-surface 20 is formed, whichhas constant contact with the downwardly and rearwardly inclined head 22of an adjusting-screw 21, the inclined surface of the said head 22having a concavity which corresponds to the convexity of thebearing-surface 20 of the movable jaw.

The sides of the screw 21 are preferabl y flat, and this screw islocated in the top portion of the body-recess B, and when the screw isin its innermost position, admitting of the full opening of themovablejaw, the rear end of the screw will bear against the end wall ofthe aforesaid recess B, as shown in Fig. 2. An adj Listing-nut 23 ismounted on the said screw, and this nut is prevented from travelinglaterally, but is capable of free rotary movement, but causing the nutto be located within an opening 27, formed in the top of a saddle 2%,which saddle is placed over the top portion of the body and extends overthe base of the movable jaw and thence downward along the sides of thebody A of the wrench, completely covering the said body, as illustratedin Figs. 1 and 3.

The saddle is held firmly in position by rivets 25 and 25 and bypivot-pins 26 or their equivalents, passed through the side portions ofthe saddle and corresponding portions of the body of the wrench, whilethe pivot-pin 2G,which is passed through the pivot-openin g 18 in thebase of the movable jaw, has its bearing in the sides of the aforesaidsaddle.

The handle 29 of the wrench is preferably made independent of the bodyA, and a lug 28 is formed upon the upper rear edge of the body at oneside, as shown in Fig. 2, and the upper extremity of the handle is givena hook formation 30, bearing against this lug and passing outwardthrough an opening 30 in the top of the saddle, while the lowerextremity of the handle is carried within the lower rear portion of thesaddle and is held fast within the saddle and to the body,which may beaccomplished by simply making a recess in the body to receive thehandle, a pin or rivet not being necessary.

In operation when it is desired to close the jaws of the wrench themovable jaw may be carried as near as desired to the fixed jaw and heldin such position by simply turning the thumbnut 23 in a suitabledirection, or in a direction to cause the screw to travel outward,whereupon the head of the screw pressing against the bearing-surface 20of the movable jaw will force the latter downward, and when thethumb-nut 23 is turned in a direction to carry the screw 21 rearward thespring 14 will act to increase the space between the two jaws by forcingthe movable jaw upward. The end of the screw or bolt 21 which is incontact with the shoulder 17 upon the jaw has a slight up-and-downmotion or adjustment as the jaws are opened or closed. It is thusenabled to accommodate itself to the different positions of the jaw, soas to always have a firm bearing thereon.

The wrench is exceedingly simple, durable. and economic, as heretoforestated, and may be used with certainty and with convenience in placeswhere many other wrenches of alike type would fail to give satisfaction,or where other wrenches having adjustment cannot enter these jaw-likefingers, forming a movable'openingV-shaped, can pick orbite a hold uponthe smallest exposure of a bolt, nut, or rod in the most effective way,so that such bolt, nut, or rod can be firmly held and turned.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a wrench, the combination of a fixed jaw,amovable jaw pivoted to cooperate therewith and provided with a shoulderhaving a convex bearing-surface at one side of its pivot, with a screwor bolt bearing against said shoulder and constrained against rotation,and a nut upon said bolt having bearini against the body of the wrench,substantially as described.

2. In a wrench, the combination of a fixed jaw, a movable jawpivoted'relative thereto and provided with a shoulder having a convexbearing-surface at one side of its pivot. with a screw or boltconstrained against rotation and having one end bearing against saidshoulder, a nut upon said bolt, and thrustsupports therefor which willpermit a slight radial adjustment of the bearing end of the bolt,substantially as described.

3. In a wrench, the combination of a fixed jaw, a movable jaw pivotedrelative thereto and provided with a shoulder having a convexbearing-surface at one side of the pivot. and further provided with apoint of engagement for a spring, with a spring attached to the fixedjaw and engaging the said point on the movable jaw to open the same, ascrew or bolt constrained against rotation and by one end engaging theshoulder upon said bolt. and thrust-supports for the same carried on thefixed jaw, substantially as described.

4. In a wrench, the combination,with a movable jaw radiating from apivot-center and provided at its rear end above the said center with abearing-surface, and at its rear end adjacent to the said center with alip, of a saddle in which the pivoted portion of the movable jaw iscontained, an adj Listing-screw held to travel within the said saddle,having constant engagement with the bearing-surface above the pivot ofthe movable jaw. a nut held to turn within the saddle on the said screwand held against lateral movement, and a spring exerting downwardpressure on the lip projected from the said movable jaw, as and for thepurpose set forth.

5. In a wrench of the alligator type, the combination, with a bodyprovided with a fixed jaw, a saddle extending over the body of the wrenoh, and a movable jaw, the base whereof is contained and pivoted withinthe said saddle, the said base portion of the pivoted jaw having aconvexed bearing-surface above and rearward of its pivot and anextension rearward of the said pivot and near the lower edge of the baseof the said movable jaw, of

an adjusting-screw having end movement within the said saddle andprovided with a head having its outer face eoncaved to receive theconvexed bearing at the base of the movable jaw, an adj listing-nutmounted on the said screw and held to turn in an opening in the saddle,and a spring secured to the body, the free end of which spring exertsdownward pressure on the extension from the base of the movable jaw, asand for the purpose set forth.

6. In a wrench, the combination of a fixed jaw, a saddle consisting of aplate, bent in U shape and having the fixed jaw secured between theseparated ends thereof and provided with a slot at the bend forreception of an adj Listing-nut, with a movable jaw pivoted to thesaddle between the fixed jaw and the bend thereof, a bolt havingflattened sides lying in the bend of the saddle and engaging the movablejaw to close the same, and a nut upon said bolt and within the slot inthe sad dle, substantially as described.

7. In an alligator-Wrench, a body provided with a fixed jaw, a pivotedjaw spring-controlled in its upward movement, and an adjusting nut orscrew controlling the downward or closing movement of the said movablejaw, a handle constructed independently of the body but connectedtherewith, and a saddle recessed to receive the adj ust-ing-nut,preventing lateral movement thereof, the said saddle likewise serving asa medium for looking the handle to the body, as specified.

HENRY ADALBERT SMITH.

Witn esses:

R. W. JosLYN, C. T. VAN GORDON.

